It has been way too long! Between feeling really busy and not having the energy to just write, this post has been sitting in the drafts with tiny updates but never fully finished. So finally pushing it out now before things are even more stale than they already are! So this is what I had written from about August until the end of 2025.. there’s a bunch I want to write about from the 1st quarter of 2026, so I’m putting this out there mostly as a living journal to myself – so feel free to skip if you’re not into old info!
I knew I forgot something in my last update! I was sad to miss going to Heroclix for Huntingtons/ROC Cup in May, as I’ve gone the last few years and was really hoping to go this year – before all the weirdness happening in the world. Because I wasn’t there and still wanted to participate, I made the decision to bid on a few things in the auction and spend what I would have on travel for flights and such. I ended up bidding (and winning) the Phoenix HQ map, Aquarium map, Sailor’s Dream map and an online battle royal with Scott Porter. I actually ended up with 2 of the Sailor’s Dream map because of the app glitches and I wasn’t on the list of winning one in the first 2 days – but when it was all over and everything showed in my cart, turns out I did win one. I also have the Rivals Respawn map coming and was fortunate enough for a friend going who wasn’t going to get the VIF package and was willing to get it for me, so I was able to get a few LE’s I didn’t have and the popular Fenix pog (which I promptly glued a googly eye to – it needed that upgrade!).
I’m really feeling the whole not feeling comfortable crossing to the US right now. I want very much to travel to events, especially Worlds, but would also have potentially been up to doing some random weekend quick trips for some of these CCO’s too. I’m very glad that Canada got 2 this year and could do a weekend trip out to Alberta for one and then the Ontario one and then Canadian Nationals (those writeups are all just before this post, if you’re so inclined to read them). It was very tournament heavy in July and the beginning of August and now there are no tournaments in sight – so very feast or famine for tournaments. Into the famine now and it’s hard on the mental health to not have events to look forward to, which also means no reason to take time off work. I don’t like booking off unless it’s for a specific reason and I’ve been using all my vacay time for clix trips for years now.
I’ve finished 2 more classes and also almost halfway towards my certificate. I’m really enjoying the learning I’m doing. Some of the things are stuff that I can relate to what I do day-to-day and gives me a deeper knowledge behind it and some is all new information. I love that I can relate things to what I do. It’s making it more relatable and helping it stick in my brain. Good thing for good note taking tho! Next one starts mid January so there’s a few weeks break from learning.
If I wasn’t already busy enough, I’m missing doing another little side thing. Something that feeds into being creative. So, being inspired by a friend who has been crafting, I decided to do a bit of crafting myself. Remember the old Jamberry nails days from like 10 years ago? Well I still have a ton of strips that I’ll never use, but don’t feel right throwing them out with how much I spent on them. I remembered back in the day people making jewelry out of the old strips and decided to try my hand at it. So far I’ve made a few necklaces, bracelets, earrings and keychains. I’m still finding the groove of the process and who knows, maybe I’ll get ambitious enough to maybe start a sales page on here as a little side gig again? The pic here is a small example of some of them – are these kinds of things of any interest to anyone?
This summer I noticed that the museum had a temporary exhibit on Auschwitz and I felt drawn to go. I have Sundays usually available so I reached out to my mom and asked if she wanted to join me. It just so happened that one of the Sundays in August fell on the 10th, which was my Oma’s birthday, so we chose to go that day. For those of you who don’t know, my Oma survived the Holocaust, so it felt fitting to go on a day when I was thinking about her. It was definitely a hard and emotional walk through and I’m glad I took the time to go.
The next week, my bestie Tammy and her family had a pool party that I joined them for. We definitely don’t hang out anywhere often enough, so I’m glad this was something they did again. I might have gotten a little high and spent a ton of time in the pool, but it was great to hang out and catch up with everyone. It’s always easier to catch up in person with conversations than messaging, and of course getting all the hugs!
I got even more bestie and family time in when they decided they wanted to go to the stage production of Betelgeuse. They know how much I love going to musicals, so they invited me along to join them. I did zero research on it before going and fell in love with the music. I had no idea how different it was going to be than the movie – it was a great switch up and surprise! Unrelated but on the same line of musicals, earlier this summer I also treated myself so a solo date of going to the Lion King musical as well. I went an afternoon and took myself out for lunch and a drink and made a whole day of it. I keep trying to do things for myself occasionally of things I want to do and even if I don’t have anyone to do them with, not miss out on doing things I enjoy just because I’m single.
With the whole not traveling thing, I needed a few days off work to recharge and decided to do a staycation to Niagara Falls. I went the first weekend in October and it felt like the perfect time to go! The summer was over, kids back to school and because I went mid week, it was quieter than it being a weekend. The weather was also perfect. Not hot and sticky from the summer but not yet cold from the winter. I did a ton of research to plan out and decide exactly how I wanted it to go. I took a bus after work Wednesday to be there to enjoy the full days instead of travelling all morning to get there and I’m so glad I made that decision. The bus route was double the predicted time with the traffic leaving the city, but still worth it. Checked into the hotel about 9pm, went for a late dinner then walked over to the casino for an hour before heading back. Thursday was my falls day. I decided on the Power Plant and tunnel to the base of the falls and the White Water Walk. I didn’t want to do that boat or behind the falls as I’ve done those before and wanted to do something different. I’m THRILLED with my choices and couldn’t have done better. The power plant itself was alright. There was a cool tesla coil presentation, but the tunnel is where it’s at. You go down an elevator 180 ft and then walk 2200 ft and it takes you out to the base of the falls and it was breathtaking – almost to the point of tears. I highly recommend it and spent a bunch of time there. Then I got on the hop-on hop-off bus and went to the white water walk. This is a walk along the river that the falls flows in to and the power of all that water narrowing results in the most incredible rapids. At the end of the walk before turning around, there were some benches that I rested at and just took some time in the quiet, enjoying the sound of the water rushing. The last thing I wanted to do by the falls was to go at night, so back on the bus to go back to the top of the falls. As I stepped off the bus, there was the most beautiful rainbow and as I got closer to the edge of the top of the falls, I even saw a double rainbow. It was still light out so I enjoyed the power of the water dropping off the top and falling, grabbed an ice-cream, then a glass of wine and sat waiting for the sun to fall and the falls to light up. I managed to catch the last bus up to near the hotel and took myself to a late dinner of wood-fired pizza and over to the hotel to spend some time in the hot tub, before resting for the night.
Just a quick note around Halloween, this year I dressed up as a cowgirl – the theme my work decided on this year. At least I look cute and better than last years lobster, lol.
My mental health has had its ups and downs this last little while. No where near the struggle of a few years ago when I started therapy but still moments that are difficult. I’m glad that I still do therapy as maintenance, even though I’m out of the rock bottom feeling. Knowing that I have that check-in with the feelings and emotions periodically, with the option of more frequent if I feel I need it.
Physically, the knees still ache and some days are worse than others. Mid December I went to the Dr for a check-in, as it has been a while. She ordered bloodwork, which I haven’t done yet but plan to shortly. While there I got the Flu shot and on my way home after, I slipped on ice. That was a few days of mild muscle aches and weakness all over. Who knows how much of that was the shot, falling or just general normal pain. As that subsided, my nose got runny and then stuffy. Again, the shot or just happening to pick up a cold or something the same time. I’m glad it’s all pretty much better now though.
Finishing off with the end of year holidays of Christmas and New Years. We did our usual quiet Christmas with our parents coming over Christmas Eve for the traditional crockpot meatball subs, drinks and just hanging out. 1 decoration, 0 presents and just some small does of family time was perfect. Short days at work and getting to leave early several days was even better. I really just did a lot of down time relaxing. Same for New Years. I left work early, we ordered pizza and I just went to bed when I got tired, not bothering to make myself stay up until midnight.
Alright, hitting post before this sits another 6+ months!
Until next time, xoxo